Barry Palmer and his FaceBook post

The following is a post by Barry Palmer in his Face Book page. He is the first and only International President (Now past president) to come from Australia.

June 19 at 10:14am ·

I have noticed we seem to like jokes, videos or lighthearted stuff to forget about life for awhile more than the deep and meaningful.

The following are comments from his followers:

Nai Seng Tan Is that why you have no time to look into serious complaints about how some of the Lion clubs are run?

Barry Palmer  What have you complained about??

Nai Seng Tan  I have been following the posting by ex-Lion Luqman Michel about his experience with his Lion Club KKH and it looks like his revelation about misconduct by so called PDG, PP and what not’s were not taken seriously.

Barry Palmer You see one side of a story and you come to the conclusion that I have no time to look into complaints. There is a proper process for complaints through the legal dept. You say some complaints about how some Lions Clubs are run. So you are talking more than one as you are speaking in the plural sense. So are you aware of more clubs or only this one

(My comments now:  I will address this in my next post.)

Nai Seng Tan  one is bad enough. Lion is supposed to be a prestigious global set up. We expect the governance process to match the dignity.

Barry Palmer  I agree but you infer there is more than one. So if you have information on more than one tell me. If not then should not say infer there are others. This will have effects on other members.

(My comment now: Is Barry saying that members will be affected only when many Lions Clubs misappropriate money meant for the needy?)

Luqman Michel  You said "So you are talking more than one as you are speaking in the plural sense. So are you aware of more clubs or only this one".

I have heard this from a PDG and a few Lion presidents that money is used by some clubs here for other purposes. I however have no proof of same. However, I have a big question in my mind: Why is it that no Club in this district is questioning my former club? Is it possible that most of the clubs in this district are doing the same thing? I have conclusive evidence and I have provided these evidences to Lions Clubs International and they have not taken any action and said they will leave it to the local authorities. What kind of 'We Serve' is this? What is so difficult in taking action under 'Status Quo' and getting local leaders to check out my complaint?

Luqman Michel  "This will have effects on other members."

This one fiasco by LCKKHost and the way you guys including LCI are handling this matter will already have effects on other members.

Luqman Michel I have detailed everything in my book 'Wolves among Lions' available on Amazon Australia. Would I dare write such a book if there is even one matter there that is not true? I hope you or any Lion in the world will respond instead of sweeping everything under the carpet and then talking about ethics.

Luqman Michel  You have said to Nai Seng Tan "You see one side of a story and you come to the conclusion that I have no time to look into complaints. There is a proper process for complaints through the legal dept."

What is the proper process? I wrote to LCI Admin, LCI Finance and LCI Legal.

That was well after writing to my own Lions club and then to the District Governor - DG Eve Wong, the VDG Pelly Lee who is the current DG and almost all the local leaders. LCI did not respond to my first two emails when I was still a member. Finally LCI Legal wrote to me and copied the email to DG and asked her to get a conciliator to resolve the problem and promised to appoint a conciliator if the DG does not get it done.

After all that LCI Legal says that it cannot take action because:

i.                    I am no longer a member and

ii.                  because I have reported it to local authorities. What is your take on this? Is LCI there just to collect yearly dues and then say all clubs are autonomous?

(My comment now: I will post all the emails I wrote to LCI in my next post and let us see what Barry will say about ‘PROPER PROCESS’.)

Chris Morris There is so much negativity on this medium that I try to make at least one positive post a day. It can be pointed, but no politics and especially no Lions politics in this forum.

(My comment now: This Chris Morris manages a club in Waikoloa in Hawaii. He keeps writing about ethics. What does he mean by no Lion politics in this forum? Sweep everything under the carpet until it blows up in the face? I believe all issues should be resolved as they arise.)

Barry Palmer  It never ceases to amaze me that when I ask a question or make a comment all the negative comments come out of the woodwork. It’s like they are waiting

Chris Morris Some of us appreciate the positive comment. Facebook needs more positive posts and Lions need the encouragement you provide.

(My comment now: There would be a lot more positive comments if the International President Bob Corlew had not been climbing so many mountains without looking at Lions falling down the valley.I would not have had to write my book if LCI had acted when I wrote to them. There will have been no negative comments if the local PDG's had not hid themselves behind the skirt of DG Eve Wong. There will not be any negative comment if PDG's understood what problems should be solved under Club Dispute Resolution Procedures and what should be resolved by District leaders. After this matter is resolved I may want to give a talk on how to resolve issues to all the ill informed PDG's in District 308A2.)

Nai Seng Tan We like to call a spade a spade. The truth should not be swept under the carpet for the sake of personal reasons. Money were donated for charitable undertaking but its use was not properly disclosed and we see in local papers the recalcitrants get elevated into position with high sounding titles like district governor etc.. The chronology of the original problem are all in the book "Wolves among Lions".

Georgina Mckay I love a joke but i am more into the serious stuff which is why if i find a problem i just say so, sometimes it works other times not so much. I have noticed that if there is a problem no one wants to rock the boat until it has almost sunk..rant over

Nai Seng Tan Exactly. Luqman Michel was trying his best to protect the image of what the Lion we knew of. However when he was sent on a run around to get answers to the problems he encountered in his LCKKH that is when all the respect for Lion came crashing down. Sorry for all the collateral damages but the truth must be told.

(My comment now: If only there are a few more Lions like Georgina Mckay around the world and in LCI I would not have had to waste my time, effort and money highlighting what should not have happened in my former club.)